Lighting fixture



A. DvoRAK. LIGHTING FIXTURE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 2, 192|.

1922. 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Batented June 20 A. DVORAK.

LlGHTING FIXTURE. i APPLICATION FILED APR.2, 1921.

3,419,920. PanteaJune 20, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

JW y MLS entren stars sara la,

LIGHTNG Specification of Letters Patent.

SSIGNOR TO BEARDSLEE CHANDELIER CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

FIXTURE.

Patented June 20, 1922.

Application filed April 2, 1921. Serial No. 457,956.

T0 all fio/mm 'it may conce/rfa:

Be it known that I, ANTON Dvonnii, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Berwyn, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois7 have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lighting Fixtures, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying draw` ings, which form a part of my specification.

My invention relates more particularly to means for supporting and fastening separate pieces of glass-ware of the fixtures together, namely the enclosing bowl and shade or refiector of an electric lighting fix-l ture, so that both pieces or glass members of the fixture may be handled as a single unit and whereby said composite unit of glassware may be secured to and supported from the canopy or metal shell of the lighting fixture disposed thereabove.

One obj ect of my invention is to provide a construction whereby the glass bowl and the refiector will both be supported in proper relation by comparatively large portions of the fastening means so that the pressure and purchase on said glassware will be dis-v tributed to a greater extent and therefore with less likelihood of breakage, than is the case where the usual thumb or set-screw method is employed; my invention at the same time providing greater flexibility in the retaining means than has heretofore been provided, thereby compensating for expansion and contraction in the two members or pieces of glassware to a greater degree than is the case with the fastening means at present employed.

A further object of my invention is to provide fastening means of the character described which may be formed of resilient sheet metal so as to take care of any varia tions within certain limits) in size or shape of the respective elements of the fixture; while at the same timeproviding a construction wherein a single element will lock the respective portions of the glassware holding means in position and eliminate any possible chance of separation or falling of the glassware.

Another object of the invention is to provide a holder of the character described whereby the different members or pieces of glassware of the lighting fixtures are so fastened and held together7 that a free circulation of air between the juxtaposed portions of the bowl and refiector is made possible, with the result that the various parts of the lighting fixture will be maintained at a lower temperature than is the case in fixtures with fastening means as at present employed; my improved construction being such that the holder or fastening means may be readily secured to the overhead housing or shell of the fixture and at the same time permit of such adjustment that the reflector with the bowl may be adjusted to be dis` posed'in a horizontal plane.

The above enumerated objects and advantages, as well as other advantages inherent in the construction, will be more readily comprehended from the detailed descrip tion of the accompanying drawings, where- 1n:-

Figure l is a vertical sectional view of a lighting fixture provided with my improved holder or fastening means; the glass bowl being shown in full lines.

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a detail perspective view of the main portion of the holder.

'Figure 4- is a cross sectional view, taken on the line 4 4 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

VIn the exemplifcation of the invention as disclosed in the drawings, the fastening means or holder is illustrated in conjunction with a lighting fixture embodying a top at* taching cap or member 15 usually composed of metal; the capillustrated in the drawings being stamped or spun out of sheet metal and skirted or fiared at the bottom to provide an air space intermediate of the other portions of` the `fixture and the cap. The cap encloses a suitable strap or yoke 16, which maybe of spring metal having the upper intermediate portion thereof made sufficiently heavy to be provided with a tapped opening' to receive the threaded end of a suspending loop member or other attaching means whereby the fixture may be suspended, yieldingly or otherwise, from the ceiling and at the same time provide for the passage of the electric wires which are secured to the respective contact points orterminals in the socket member 17 which receives the lamp 18. The strap or yoke 16 is formed in any suitable manner so' as to have interlocking or holding yrelatief;v

with the reflector and globe holder 19, which is also preferably formed of` sheet metal and flared or skirted. rlfhe holder 19 is provided with a central opening for the passage of the socket member therethrough and for the passage of the yoke 16. The lower horizontally disposed portion of the holder 19, preferably at diametrieally opposite points, is provided with transversely disposed slots 20, as shown in Figure 1, to receive the threaded posts or stems 21 of the split band or holder 22, see Figures 1 and-3.

The glassware holder 22 is. preferablyv composed ofsheet metal so as to be more or less resilient and is formed with a vertical and a horizontal portion or flange and entirely therethrough as shown at 23 in Figure 3; while at a point diametrically opposite to the split portion 23`tl1e upper' or'horizontal portion or flange is preferably slit or kerfed as shown at2s1. in order to permit eX- pansion or separation ofthe split or severed portion of the holder beyond normal condition, namely into the maximum expanded condition illustrated in Figure 8; The upper' horizontally disposed'flange 25 of the holder, at predetermined points. is provided with a plurality of inwardly disposed lips or lugs 26, which, in the exemplification,` are shown disposed in a triangulated manner so as to provide aplurality of glass-engaging portions at equi-distances apart. The lips 26 are all provided with downward'curvature as clearly shown in Figure 3, and arranged in spaced relation witlrtlle. vertical portion or flange of the holder 22. The vertical flange portion or side of the holder 22 is provided with a circumferential groove 2l' on the outside thereof and the loweredge of the vertical flange or port-ion of the holder, preferably at points coincident with the lips or lugs 26, is provided with an equal number of inwardly and upwardly disposed lugs or lipsl 2S of such dimensions as to yprovide a gap or space intermediate of the juXtaposed or correlated lugs or lips 26 and28,v

of each pair, in order to provide sufficient space for the neck or rim of the reflector 29. The lugs or lips 28 (which are formed integral with the lower edgevof the vertical portion or flange of the bandf22) are intended to engage flared neck of the reflector 29-while thelugs or lips 26 are adapted to engage with theflanged open end or neck offthe globevSO;

theholder 22 being maintained" in clamping relation with the reflector or shade 29vand the globe 30 by means of a comparatively heavy or stiff bent wireB'l, whichy is inthe nature. of'fa splitring and which is adapted t'obe forced' overthe top of the hol`der'22` and be seated inthe annular groove2.7 formed in the vertical portion' or' flange of band 22.

Thel split' wire" ring 3l, will maintainA the,

17 andY lamp split beneath the flangedv orifice or split band or holder 22 in contracted condition andtherefore in clamping or holding relation with the glassware.

My improved holder is especially adapted to firmlyhold the two portions of glassware in proper correlation, namely the shade or reflector and the globe or bowl; and the holder is applied by first bringing the two portions of glassware into their proper juxtaposition, that is with the flanged neck or upper end Vof the globe disposed through the central opening in the shade or reflector and then placing' the split holder or member 22 about the flanged opening'of the shade or reflector 29 so that the lips or lugs 28 will engage with the flanged* neck of the reflector, while the lugs or lips 2G engage with the outer side of the flanged neck of the globe. 30; the split holder or member 22 is then compressed so as to bring the separated ends together, or as nearly so as the glassware willpermit, and then pressing the re` silient wire or split spring member 31 over the top of the holder member 22 until the member 31v entersthe circumferential groove 27. This will firmly clamp the holder 22 onto the reflector and globe and securely lock the same together so that they in a sense constitute and may be handled as a unit. The united reflector and globe with the member 22 are then held in position, relative to the upper portion ofthe fixture, namely the shell or holder portion 19, so to have the postsor stems 21 ofthen'iemb'er 22 pass through the slots 2O formed inthe shell or holder 19. The apertures 2O in the shell 19, for the passage of the posts or* stems 21, are preferably in the nature of slots so as to compensate 'for any slight 'variations in the respective members. The holder 22 (with the reflector and globe) is maintainedy in place by suitable thuml `-nuts 32 which screw onto the exposed ends of the stems or posts 21 disposed on the upper outer side of the shell or holder 19, as shown in Figure 1, thereby firmly securing the reflector and globe with my improved holder to the remaining portion of the fixture.

As is apparent 'from the construct-ion shown and described, both the globe and reflector are each` supported and secured in place by means of the comparatively wide lugs or lips 26 and 2S, which` like the main or body portion of theholder 22, are composed of thin sheet metaland therefore are resilient and adaptedV to yield in their pressing relation with the glassware. By reason of the flexibility of the lugs or lips, my improved holder is adapted'to `not only independently care for the expansion and contraction of` the globe and the reflector. but to-also take care of a greater amountof expansion and contraction of both pieces the well known thumb or set-screw method of securing the glassware in place. It is also apparent that my improved construction is adapted to take care of any variations (within given range) in the size or shape of the flanged or flared necks or openings ot the globe or reiiector and that the split wire ring will act as a iirm lock to maintain the improved holder in position and thus obviate any possibility oit the globe or reilector falling or becoming` disconnected trom the remainder of the lixture. Furthermore, with my improved holder, the two pieces ot glassware are secured together in such manner by the lugs or lips that the glassware will be maintained in spaced relation and permit circulation oi air between the neck of the bowl or globe and the shade or reflector, with the result that the respective parts of the lighting fixture will be maintained in a cooler condition than would otherwise be the case; at the same time the construction also enables the unit, composed of the globe, retiector and the holder, to be very easily and quickly secured in place by means of two thumb-nuts, provided with suitable knurled surfaces; this method of securing the unit also permitting the proper leveling or adjustment of the glassware in its relation to the main housing or stationarily secured metallic portion ot the lighting fixture, namely the upper canopy or shell.

I have shown and described my improved holder for securing a globe and a reflector in place, but it is apparent that it may be employed for securing a single piece of glassware to the housing` .of the fixture, whether a retiector, or a bowl or globe; and the terms and expressions employed in the specilication are merely used as terms et description and not of limitation, as there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions to exclude any mechanical equivalents for the various features shown and described or to exclude modifications, as certain structural modifications are possible and may be made without, however, dcpartiug troni the spirit ot my invention.

1What I claim is l. In a lighting lixtnre, a holder comprising a split annular member ot resilient metal provided at top and bottom with inwardly disposed lips or lugs adapted to engage with the flanged neck ol separate pieces of glassware of the fixture, a split resilient member adapted to encircle the first mentioned member to maintain the same in contracted condition, and means whereby the rst member may be removably secured to the housing or shell of the ixture.

2. In a lighting fixture, a contractible circular member provided with inwardly disposed lips or lugs arranged in pairs, one lug or lip of each pair being disposed inwardly and downwardly from the inner periphery of the member, while the other lip or lug of each pair is disposed inwardly and upwardly from the outer periphery of the member, and yielding means whereby the member may be yieldingly maintained in contracted condition.

3. In a lighting ixture, a split metal band, angular in cross-section so as to have a Vertically disposed portion and a horizontally disposed portion, both portions being provided with inwardly disposed tlexible lips or lugs adapted to engage with the glass` ware of the fixture, and yielding means whereby the split band may be yieldingly maintained in contracted condition.

4. In a lightingfixture, a split sheet metal band, of predetermined circumference, pro` vided with a plurality of inwardly disposed lips or lugs arranged at predetermined points, with one rportion of the lips or lugs being disposed y.inwardly beyond the other portion of the lips or lugs so as to define the circumference of a smaller circle than that defined by the lips or lugs of said other portion, and yielding means whereby the split band may be yieldingly maintained in contracted condition.

5. In a lighting ixture of the character described, a split sheet metal band, angular in cross-section so as to provide a vertically disposed portion and a horizontally disposed portion, the horizontally disposed portion being provided with inwardly and downwardly disposed lips or lugs, while the vertically disposed portion of the band is provided with inwardly and upwardly disposed lips or lugs, with the lips or lugs on the horizontally disposed portion extending into the circumference of a smaller circle than that described by the lips or lugs on the vertically disposed portion, and a resilient member adapted to extend about said band to yieldingly maintain the latter in contracted condition.

6. In a lighting fixture of the character described, a split metal band provided with a plurality of inwardly disposed lips or lugs arranged at predetermined points, in spaced relation, and disposed inwardly so as to deline the eircnmferences of different sized concentric circles, fastening means secured to said band, and a resilient member adapted to extend about said band to yieldingly maintain the latter in contracted condition.

7. In a lighting lixture of the character described, a split band provided with a plurality of inwardly disposed lips or lugs arranged in pairs and in spaced relation. with the lips or lugs of each pair being adapted to engage with two different sized pieces of glassware, and a resilient member adapted to encircle said band to yieldingly contract the same, in combination with the shell or holder of the fixture, and adjustable means llO 9. In e lighting fixture, ay eontraotible member consisting of:` a horizontal portion and :i vertical portion, both portions being provided with inwardly disposed resilient lugs or lips of substantialv width, means adapted to normally contract seid member, und means whereby said member may be secured to the superposed portion of a fixture. i

ANTON DVORAK.

litnesses z FRED R. FARMER, GEO. J. STRUCK. 

